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The Turangalîla-Symphonie is a large-scale piece of orchestral music by Olivier Messiaen. It was written from 1946 to 1948, on a commission by Serge Koussevitzky for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was premiered by that orchestra in December 1949, conducted by Leonard Bernstein in Boston. Koussevitzky's commission did not specify the duration, orchestral forces or style of the piece.

Contents 1 Concept 2 Orchestration 3 Structure 4 References

[edit] Concept

While most of Messiaen's compositions are religious in inspiration, at the time of writing the symphony the composer was fascinated by the myth of Tristan and Isolde, and the Turangalîla Symphony forms the central work in his trilogy of compositions concerned with the themes of romantic love and death. (The other pieces are Harawi (poème d'amour et de mort) and Cinq rechants for unaccompanied choir.) When asked about the meaning of the work's duration and its ten movements, Messiaen simply replied, "It's a lovesong."^{[citation needed]}

Messiaen derived the title of the work from two Sanskrit words, turanga and lîla, which roughly translate into English as "love song and hymn of joy, time, movement, rhythm, life, and death." He described the joy of Turangalîla as "superhuman, overflowing, dazzling and abandoned".

[edit] Orchestration

The Turangalîla-Symphonie is scored for piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 5 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, piano solo, glockenspiel, celesta, keyed glockenspiel, vibraphone, 5 percussionists (including gong, tubular bells, and wood block) and strings, as well as an ondes Martenot. The demanding piano part includes several solo cadenzas.

[edit] Structure

The work is in ten movements, linked by common themes and musical ideas:

1. Introduction: A ‘‘curtain raiser’’ introducing two important themes: one for heavy brass (the statue theme) and a quiet flourish for two clarinets (the flower theme) with a terrifying dance section.
2. Chant d’amour I (Love Song 1): Fast energetic music and slow music signifying physical and tender love.
3. Turangalîla I: A representation of death and pain.
4. Chant d’amour II (Love Song 2): The playfulness and expressivity of love.
5. Joie du Sang des Étoiles (Joy of the Blood of the Stars): A celebration of physical and carnal love.
6. Jardin du Sommeil d’amour (Garden of Love’s Sleep): The tenderness that follows physical exuberance.
7. Turangalîla II: A dark and violent representation of the darker aspects of love.
8. Développement d’amour (Development of Love): The irreconcilability of the physical and tender.
9. Turangalîla III: A movement of sphinx-like calm.
10. Final: Celebratory joyous music of transcendental physical energy.

[edit] References

de:Turangalîla-Sinfonie

fr:Turangalîla-Symphonie (Olivier Messiaen) ja:トゥランガリーラ交響曲 pt:Turangalîla-Symphonie fi:Turangalîla-sinfonia sv:Turangalîlasymfonin